Terms | Definitions |
Spontaneous Generation | Idea of nonliving materials could produce life. Disproved by Redi and Pasteur. |
Biogenesis | Idea that living organisms only come from other living organisms. |
Miller and Urey | Tested the hypothesis that life began from simple organic molecules (proteins-amino acids) by creating the conditions of early within the lab. |
Earth's Early Atmosphere | LACKED OXYGEN |
Prokaryotes | First living organisms found on earth according to evolutionists. |
Endosymbiotic Theory | Theory that states that eukaryotic cells evolved from prokaryotic cells. |
Evolution | Theory that describe the way organisms change (evolve) over a period of time. |
Artificial Selection | Process by which humans change a species by breeding it for certain desirable traits. |
Natural Selection | Process by which individuals that have inherited beneficial adaptations produce more offspring on average than do other individuals. Also known as survival of the fittest! |
4 Parts of Natural Selection | 1.Overproduction
2.Variations
3.Adaptations
4.Descent with Modification |
Overproduction | Species produces more offspring to ensure that some are able to live and reproduce. |
Variations | Provide species with a greater chance of survival so adaptations of variations a can be passed successfully to the next generation. |
Adaptations | Any inherited characteristics or trait that increases and organism's chance of survival. |
Descent with Modification | Idea that each living species has descended with changes from other species over time. |
Fitness | Ability of an organism to survive and reproduce in its specific environment. |
Speciation | Adaptations are passed on and new species may evolve from a common ancestor. |
Common Descent Evolution | Principle that states that all living and extinct species were derived from a common ancestor. |
Homologous Structures | Body parts are similar in structure,but different in function.
Ex:Bird and Seal (Similar bone structure,but different function). Bird flies and Seal swims! (Same ancestors,different function!) |
Analogous Structures | Body parts are similar in function,but different in structure
Ex: Bats and Butterfly (Both fly,but they evolve from different ancestors) |
Vestigial Structures | Body structure that has no present day function,but was probably useful to an ancestor.
Ex: Femur bone in whales |
Embryology | Study of embryos, which are the earliest stage of growth and development of plants and animals. |
Biochemistry | Similar DNA & RNA composition!
Humans and Chimpanzees have a 98% similarity in DNA base sequences! |
Divergent Evolution | Process in which a trait held by a common ancestor evolves into different variations over time.
Ex: Bird wing & dog leg! (HOMOLOGOUS STRUCTURES) |
Co-evolution | Occurs when closely interacting species exert selective pressures on each other, so that they evolve together.
Ex: Humming Birds and Flowers (They use each other) |
Stabilizing Selection | Occurs when intermediate phenotypes are favored by natural selection. (Favors Average)
Ex: Human Birth Weight |
Directional Selection | Occurs when one extreme phenotype is favored by natural selection. (Favors 1 trait over the other).
Ex: Drug resistance bacteria |
Disruptive Selection | Occurs when both extreme phenotypes are favored by selection. (Favors both extreme phenotypes).
Ex: Darwin Finches Beak Size, large and small beaks favored |
Geographical Isolation | Occurs when a barrier divides a population & prevents interbreeding in population. |
Reproductive Isolation | Occurs when formerly interbreeding organisms can no longer mate & produce offspring. |